MY YEAR IN MUSIC. 2019

Music is dead, say the pundits, to which i reply, what a load of old codswallop!

The music industry itself is dying a miserable and pathetic death – which it brought upon itself. Does anyone actually listen to pop music, or even FM radio anymore? No, probably not, except when you're at the dentist's office. And it is utter tripe. Almost every song in the current top ten was written by a committee and the voices are all auto-tuned, which means (if Donald Trump Junior is reading this) that they're digitally “enhanced” to remove any imperfections. Which means all character is eradicated. Auto-tune Eddie Vedder and he'll sound like Andy Williams.

And have you seen what they're pushing as “new releases” lately? I'll single out Rod Stewart as he's an artist i loved in the 70s and early 80s but oh, how the mighty have fallen! I'd be hard pressed to even call him an “entertainer” any more, because his music has become a joke, and his latest release is a fine example of a cash-grab. His “new” album is “With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.” He didn't actually record anything new for it, though: that might have required work. They took his original vocals from old recordings and added the orchestra (and classical musicians work cheap – most of them don't make a living and work as laundry truck drivers – or at McDonald's – to pay the rent). Costs very little, to hell with the quality it and sells by the shed-load. That's the business model. Pshaw!

Music is alive and well and is thriving, though, kids, don't let 'em fool you. I bought quite a few cds this year. Many of them were replacements for old vinyl albums (which i am unable to play at the moment). Some great 70s albums by The Kinks, Jeff Beck, Jane Siberry, Renaissance, John Lennon, etc. Probably the best of that bunch was Lennon's “Mind Games”, perhaps my favourite of his solo albums.

But i also bought some amazing and devastatingly beautiful music by current performers. I made some major discoveries this year, too. Carbon Leaf's song “The War Was In Color” must be one of the most powerful anti-war songs ever. I found Rhiannon Giddens late in the year through her work with the Carolina Chocolate Drops and then bought her solo albums and wow, what a voice! Another excellent find was Hannah Reid, the superb vocalist with London Grammar: their music is not for everyone, it will either put you to sleep or reduce you to tears of joy at its beauty. I'm in the latter group. Eliza Gilkyson, The Court Yard Hounds (an offshoot of The Dixie Chicks), Outback, A Fine Frenzy – some incredible music there. I even bought cds by (pop stars) Kesha and Pink and although most their stuff is beyond my comfort level, there are some lovely moments.

My favourite new song of the year (it's ten years old but it only just found me) was unquestionably “Rangers” from A Fine Frenzy's “One Cell In The Sea” album. It melts my spine, it's so evocative. Find it on YouTube.

Album of the year? Probably “Blues”, a three-disc set of previously-unreleased gems by my all-time favourite blues-rock guitarist Rory Gallagher: the brilliance and fluidity of his playing was staggering. But i really must make mention of “Songs Of Our Native Daughters” by Rhiannon Giddens (mentioned above), Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla and Allison Russell: four black American women singing mostly traditional (17^th -19^th century) songs about what it is and has been like to be black in America. It's not an album that will ever sell, but it's both important and powerful. The fact that the record company saw fit to release it gives me hope.

On the subject of radio, as in previous years the station i listened to the most was Radio Paradise. Listener-supported and commercial-free, it's where i discovered almost all of the great new discoveries i discovered (see above) this year. (Did i really write that sentence? Gulp!) They're eclectic, to say the least.

The only commercial FM station i listened to this year was, as it has been for a while, KSHE 95 from St Louis (my spiritual home) although i rarely listen to them apart from on Sunday mornings, when The Klassics Show plays all classic rock that you never hear anywhere else. The program is the highlight of my week (i may have mentioned it elsewhere...) but otherwise KSHE plays the same old stuff every other rock radio station plays, i.e., i like it but it's nothing special.

I also listened occasionally to KCLC, campus radio from Lindenwood University in St Charles, Missouri. They play some terrific music but unfortunately their app doesn't work particularly well on my Android device. I also like the fact that they do the NBC radio news every half-hour and i should probably uninstall and re-install the app, i just haven't bothered yet, as the other two stations keep me perfectly happy.